I am a competitive swimmer for my high school team, and our coach has us do lactate tolerance sets of 6x100 sprint. I am wondering if there are any foods that could possibly reduce the amount of lactic acid that is produced. Thanks for the help!
Lactate can be buffered with bicarbonate (at a max of 0.3g/Kg), however bicarbonate can be bloating or cause gastrointestinal problems (e.g. vommiting or diarrhoroea).
I would therefore advise you either advoid bicarbonate or at the very least try reduced amounts first. For example on a training night have 0.1g/kg an hour and a half before you go and 0.1g/kg 45mins before you go. This way you can test if bicarbonate disagrees with you. You can either use gelatine capsules or simply mix it in with water.
You should also bear in mind that while there have been very good results with bicarbonate, they have also been non responding results i.e. nothing happenend, no sickness but no improvement.
How old are you? you're probably better off simply avoiding it.
dan
Agree with d.robbins but just to say, test it first when it does not matter. I know a lot of people who it upsets their stomach and they have tried it for the first time at a competition and subsequently had 'problems' :!:
I know a few athletes (400m and 800m) that have supplemented with sodium bicarbonate with mixed results including the adverse effects associated with its consumption.
An alternative to sodium bicarbonate maybe sodium citrate. It works in the same way as soduim bicarbonate (increases blood and cellular pH and induces acceleration of H+ ions out of the working muscle) but has not been associated with the vommiting, cramps, diarrhea etc.
Research is equivocal however there have been some studies showing an ergogenic effect of sodium citrate supplementation. Hausswirth et al. (1995) reported a 20% improvement in leg endurance when the participants supplemented before maximal isometric knee extension. Whether these results can be related to swimming performance remain to be seen.
The guidlines for sodium citrate ingestion are a single dose of 0.4-0.5g sodium citrate per kg body mass around 60-90mns before exercise.
As mentioned by d.robbins and bad_boy it is recomended that you test it out in training. However, if your training is to improve lactate tolerance you should be looking at trying to improve your natural buffering system and pain tolerance, chronic supplementation will inhibit these adaptations.
A great tool for coping with lactic acid is to have a fresh lemon blended into 1-1.5litres of water a day. Do this for around 2 weeks and you will really see the difference. I do a lot of sprint training and it helps me a great deal. Also a supplement called MAXIMUSCLE VIPER is fanstic as well, don't get the VIPER EXTREME though as it's full of caffeine and a lot more expensive. Tomatoes are also repprted to work really well in reducing lactic acid build up in grey hounds, not sure about humans but it's worth a shot.
Foods Lowering Lactic Acid?
you can buffer lactate build up with Bicarbonate of soda loading
Foods Lowering Lactic Acid?
Lactate can be buffered with bicarbonate (at a max of 0.3g/Kg), however bicarbonate can be bloating or cause gastrointestinal problems (e.g. vommiting or diarrhoroea).
I would therefore advise you either advoid bicarbonate or at the very least try reduced amounts first. For example on a training night have 0.1g/kg an hour and a half before you go and 0.1g/kg 45mins before you go. This way you can test if bicarbonate disagrees with you. You can either use gelatine capsules or simply mix it in with water.
You should also bear in mind that while there have been very good results with bicarbonate, they have also been non responding results i.e. nothing happenend, no sickness but no improvement.
How old are you? you're probably better off simply avoiding it.
dan
Foods Lowering Lactic Acid?
Agree with d.robbins but just to say, test it first when it does not matter. I know a lot of people who it upsets their stomach and they have tried it for the first time at a competition and subsequently had 'problems' :!:
Foods Lowering Lactic Acid?
Hi there,
I know a few athletes (400m and 800m) that have supplemented with sodium bicarbonate with mixed results including the adverse effects associated with its consumption.
An alternative to sodium bicarbonate maybe sodium citrate. It works in the same way as soduim bicarbonate (increases blood and cellular pH and induces acceleration of H+ ions out of the working muscle) but has not been associated with the vommiting, cramps, diarrhea etc.
Research is equivocal however there have been some studies showing an ergogenic effect of sodium citrate supplementation. Hausswirth et al. (1995) reported a 20% improvement in leg endurance when the participants supplemented before maximal isometric knee extension. Whether these results can be related to swimming performance remain to be seen.
The guidlines for sodium citrate ingestion are a single dose of 0.4-0.5g sodium citrate per kg body mass around 60-90mns before exercise.
As mentioned by d.robbins and bad_boy it is recomended that you test it out in training. However, if your training is to improve lactate tolerance you should be looking at trying to improve your natural buffering system and pain tolerance, chronic supplementation will inhibit these adaptations.
Alan.
Lactic acid
Hi,
A great tool for coping with lactic acid is to have a fresh lemon blended into 1-1.5litres of water a day. Do this for around 2 weeks and you will really see the difference. I do a lot of sprint training and it helps me a great deal. Also a supplement called MAXIMUSCLE VIPER is fanstic as well, don't get the VIPER EXTREME though as it's full of caffeine and a lot more expensive. Tomatoes are also repprted to work really well in reducing lactic acid build up in grey hounds, not sure about humans but it's worth a shot.
Kevin Phillips